The road trip story continues!  We’ve been home two weeks now, but the blog posts keep coming.  😉 As I mentioned last time, we were celebrating our second wedding anniversary, and Sedona is as romantic as it comes in the Desert Southwest.  As such, we planned our perfect day, which starts with a good brekky.  And this one was exceptional!  All the fruit was actually ripe (that never happens), and my french toast came with a caramelized banana sauce that was so good it almost left me short of breath, but wanting more.

We’d been dreaming about a Sedona hike for weeks, and the concierge recommended Brins Mesa Trail in Coconino National Forest for some of the best views in the area.  The first half of the hike (on the way up) is so gradual that you don’t even notice you’re gaining any elevation.  Of course, I like a good climb, too, which the back half of the trail provides.

Tequila plant!

I have so many of these pictures, it’s really hard to narrow them down.   But here’s a couple looking out across Mormon Canyon to Wilson Mountain.

Besides the breathtaking scenery, we also came across this stunning Eastern Collared Lizard.  He was surprisingly cooperative, which allowed me to take a few pictures.

The “tree” on the left of this photo is from an agave (tequila) plant.  They live for decades, and just before they die, grow a mast full of flowers.  Looks like we just missed this one.

The summit was not at all what we expected.  We were expecting a ridge line, or a cliff.  Instead, it levels out for about a quarter of a mile, covered in brush, before it starts to descend back down the other side.  This was our turnaround point.

It’s pretty, but you just never know what kind of desert critters are lurking about.  In this series:  1. Stop and pose.  2. What was that noise in the bushes?  3. I’m outta here!

Now, if you get this picture as a Christmas Card, you’ll know where it came from!

I really had full intentions of posting this whole day, but it was so full, I’ve just gotta break it up.  Teaser – it has my new favorite photo!

Cheers!